THE LATE MB. SEDDOM SIR JOSEPH WARD IN LONDON.

Evening Post, Volume LXXI, Issue 142, 16 June 1906, Page 5

THE LATE MB. SEDDOM SIR JOSEPH WARD IN LONDON.

AUDIENCE WITH THE KING. [press association.] LONDON, 15tlh June. By King Edward's command, Sir Joseph Ward had half an hour's audience with his Majesty at Buckingham Palace. His Majesty referred with admiration to Mr. Sefldon's striking personality, and the very great loss caused to the Empire by his death. Sir Joseph Ward sails by the Atlantic liner Majestic on Wednesday, 27th inst. THE HOUSE OF COMMONS. LONDON, 15tih June. Some surprise is expressed at Sir Henry Campbell-Bannerman not asking the House of Commons lo express its regret at the death of Mr. Seddon. ENGLAND'S TRIBUTE. A MEMORIAL SERVICE IN ST. PAUL'S. A few days ago a. suggestion was made that a special service in memory of the late Premier might be held in the historic St. Paul's Cathedral, London. This morning the Hon. Mr. Hall-Jones received the following cablegram from Sir Joseph Ward, who is in London : — . "Happy to tell you that a memorial service has been arranged for Tuesday in St. Paul's." - THE OSWESTRY GRANGE. EXPECTED THIS EVENING. SUGGESTIONS FOR THE FUNERAL. A telegram received from Farewell Spit states that the Oswestry Grango passed for Wellington at 11.20 this morning, and reported "all well." The vessel should arrive in the stream about 10.30 this evening. A SAD HOHIE-eOMING. ARRIVAL OF THE STEAMER DELAYED. In the black of a boisterous night the Encounter went out to meet the Oswostry Grange on the high seas. The billows brought up by the south-wester were buffeting the merchantman when the man-of-war fpund her away off shore. It was thought that tho vessel would reach Wellington early this morning before the people were astir, and that the body of the late Premier would be placed quietly at home, as Mrs. Seddon had wished. The gale during the night prevented this. All around in the city to-day flags of all nations fluttered at half-mast, and on the ships along the water-front. On land and sea there was sad evidence of tragedy. By-and-bye, when the light was stronger, deeper shades of sorrow could be seen. The late Premier' looked out in portraits from the , windows of business men. On the front of the Post Office sombre draperies swayed gloomily. Men and women clustered there all the morning, whispering, wondering when the cortege would come. On tho wharves, too, people walked slowly, gathered in groups, and peered out at the sea for the Grange. From moment to moment they expected to see the steamer rounding the misty point. In the meantime men were, covering the columns of tho Government Buildings with black. There was silence in that huge assembly of offices. The army of workers had gono away to wait till th» leader of the Liberate was finally at rest. The pedesflal of the statue of John Ballance was swathed in black, and Mr. Seddon's predecessor wore a mourning saah. Parliament House was transformed. The lower panels were painted in biack, and surmounted with wreaths of ivy and weeping willow tendrils. A mourning border ran round the main archway at tho entrance, crowned with ■White letters, "R.J.5.," set plain on an ebon field, a line of rosettes, black and white, girded the front, and the windows were draped. In the main lobby stood a bier waiting for tho coffin, in case it was decreed that the body 6hould lie here in sfete. This was the saddest scene of nil. A place was prepared foT the dead almost beside the rooms of the Government and Opposition Whips. Here there had been scurrying of old, the rush of feet, the excitted whisper, while the Premier's (battles were raging inside. The hive of industry had became a vault. At one end of the corridor is set a picture of Queen Victoria, a fitfiing ornament for the death chamber of New Zealand's Imperialist. MESSAGES OF SYMPATHY. Telegrams of condolence, still contlinue to come to hand. Amongst the messages from the late Premier's much-loved West Coast are the following :— "We know not how to express our heartfelt sympathy witih you in tout j great bereavement. Our condolence we sincerely give you, knowing your noble and beloved parent hath entered his abundant and great reward.— Bruce, Mayor of Ross." "Deepest sympathy from Kumara people in your great sorrow.— Murdoch, Mayor of Kumara." "Chairman, councillors, and officers tender sincere sympathy and regret) at the irreparable loss sustained by your family and the colony "by the untimely death of your loving and, most esteemed father, but you have the satisfaction in the knowledge thati he has done his duty. May God. gTant you all fortitude to bear up in your great affliction. We have all lost a true friend. — M. Phillips, Greymouth." "Accept sincere sympathy from this council and the, townspeople in, your presenll severe bereavement in the loss of a good father and a. great man. Please convey our great sorrow to the other members of your family.— George H. Gothard, Mayor of Westport." ■ "Hearts of people in Hokitika with resb of New Zealanders "truly sorrowful. Only God can help you'_and yours to bear youT greatl loss, but we all extend to you and your family heartfelt sympathy. Assuredly Westland has lost its Dest friend and New Zealand- its greatest statesman. — H. L. Michel, Mayor of Hokiffika." "Host* Westland friends extend heartfelt sympathy.— -M'Guigan, County Chairman." Messages have also come to hand from Mr. Pearce, Mayor of Karori, GTand Lodge of Good Templars, the crew and officers of H.MIS. Pioncor, staff and Students of Nelson College and the Nelson College Old Boys' Association, Captain Taranaki tie Ua, the Picton Borough Oounodl, the Blenheim Druids, the Marl- J

borough branch- of the Royal Society of St. George, the Pelorus branch of the Farmers' Union, New Zealanders resident at Port Elizabeth, South Africa, the Technical Education Board, Newtown Bowling Club. Y'.M.C.A. Literary and Debating Club, and many others. The Australian Labour Party has requested ' Mr. Kennedy, Wellington Manager for the Union Steam Ship Company, to place a wreath >on their behalf on the coffin of the late Mr. Seddon. Besides many messages from private persons, tfhe Hon. C. H Mills has been requested to send the following additional messages of condolence to Mrs. Seddon and family :. — From the Pjcton Borough Council, the Blenheim Druids, the Marlborough branch of the Royal Society of St. George, tho Pelorus branch of the Farmers' Union, and by #he 'Ngatikipohaki tribe, Oparure, near Te Kuiti. The latteT say : "Profound regret natives here Mr. Seddon's death. May his memory live for ever." Wreaths are being forwarded by the Marlborough Workers' Union, by the men employed on the Marlborough section of the South Island Main Trunk Railway, and by tlhe settlers on the Starborough estate, the township of which is called after the deceased statesman. The High Commissioner has forwarded to the Government a number of messages of condolence with Mrs. Seddon and family. The Labour Party in t' •» British House of Commons expresses appreciation of the great services Mr. Seddon rendered to labour by tho social legislation passed by Cabinets over which he presided ; the PostmasterGeneral (Mr. Sydney Buxton) wrote that he considered Mr. Seddon was a great loss to the Empire as well as New Zealand ; and Mr. Freeman Murray, secretary of the British Empire League, also_ sent, a cable expressing high appreciation of the services of the late Premier. An interview between the Hon. J. Carroll and a number of Maori chiefs who have come to Wellington to attend the funeral of the late PremieT took place yestierday. The object of the interview was to gain permission to meet the Oswestry Grango when she arrives in Wellington and lament in a waiata, the great rangitira who has passed away. They also asked that the body be buried in front of Parliament House, instead of "away in the bush," so that every one could go to see the giave and lament the decease of a great ranjjitira. The Native Minister, while cordially agreeing with the spontaneous outiburet of sympathy displayed by tho Maori chiefs, and also with their views as to the disposal of Mr. fieddon'a remains, said that possibly Mr. Seddon had by his written will suggested where he should be buried, and according to Maori custom the wishes of a deceased person were always respected. The widow, too, had the same privilege. Mr. Carroll agreed with the views expressed by the chiefs that the late Premier was "the father of the Maori people," but it) 'was not only the Maoris who were sufferers by his lamented death — Europeans the world over were losers. He would represent the wishes of the Maoris to Mrs. Seddon and do what was in his power to Carry them into effect. From all parts of the colony Pres3 Association messages have been received recording the passing of resolutions of condolence. A special memorial service was held at the Synagogue this morning, conducted by the Rev. 4H. -Van Staveren. There was a largo congregation, and feeling reference was made by tho Rabbi to the loss caused to the colony by the death of the -late .Premier. The offices of the members of tho Wellington Stock Exchange are closed to-day. j At a meeting held yesterday, Dr. Young, president of the Wellington Division of the British Medical Association in New Zealand, and Dr. Purdy, honorary, secretary, wero officially appointed to represent the members of the division at the funeral of the late Premier. The suggestion of the Premier that Mr. Seddon's body should be interred at Wellington—the scene of his legislative struggles and triumphs — does credit to Mr. Hall-Jones's heart, but (says the Dunedin Star) we trust .it will hot be j acted on. The proper resting-place , for the mortal remains of him whose name will be iniperishabljr linked with the West Coast of this island ife the West Coast itself — some choice spot hallowed by association, to be selectedJjy his disconsolate widow. By all"means, let there be a lying-in-state, bo that . the highest and the humbleßt who admired the statesman, the parent, and- the man shall 1 be able to pay their final tribute to his now cold clay, and a State funeral from the hall of the Legislature to the steamer that will convey tho bier to the port nearest to the chosen place of sepulture. But the psople of the West Coast — the i thousands of men and women who shared j with Mr. Seddon the joys of his early wedded life, and who condoled with him and his when the hand of Death pressed heavily on them — have a right, which sentiment cannot disturb, to be constituted the guardians of what will assuredly be the Mecca of Liberalism in this country. And on the day that the body of tho deceased statesman is committed to the earth a memorial service might be appropriately held in every city and town in the colony at an hour to be appointed by the Government after consulting with the heads of the religious denominations. The ,Hon. W.- Hall-Jones has been informed that it has been proposed in many Centres to hold memorial services at the hour decided on for the funeral. He considers that this would be a graceful and fitting tribute to the memory of the late Prime Minister. The Technical Scnool will be closed on Monday, Tuesday, and the day of the late Premier's funeral. At the request of the Chairman of the Auckland Harbour Board, Mr. T. K. Macdonald, Chairman of the Wellington Harbour Board, will represent tho Auckland Board at the funeral. >• WESTLAND'S WISHES. HOKITIKA, 15th. June. The Chairman of the Westland County Council sent 1 the following telegram to tho Hon. W. Hall-Jones this evening, subject to the wishes of Mrs. Seddon and family, and the fitness of things from a colonial standpoint: — "I am desired by a large number of personal friends of our revered member tto make formal request that his Tcmains be interred in Westland, th© district whioh gave him political birth, ,and which by its loyalty returned him to Parliament throughout* his great career. May I add that the right honourable gentleman on innumerable occasions referred to the debt of gratitude he owed to this district for its unswerving support, and that he always said, often as he was- invited to contest constituencies elsewhere, that only death ilteelf would break the tie between himself and the people of. Westland. Death, alas, has claimed him, and it would be some consolation to liis mourning friends if tho final resting.-place could be fixed in his beloved Westland. Ma^ I further add that great statesmen are frequently buried in their own districts, and colonial precedents follow. Tho gianting of this request would bo comforting to his thousands of West Coast friends, who would wish lo pay tho fullest rcspecte to the comrade of a lifetime's intercourse. I would thank you to kindly convey this ; refluent to Mrs. Socldou and family.."